1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer equipment enclosures, and more particularly to peripheral device bays with guiding features and peripheral device carriers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many computer systems, including personal computers, workstations, servers, and embedded systems are designed to have multiple peripheral devices included in the system. A typical personal computer system includes a processor, associated memory and control logic and a number of peripheral devices that provide input and output (I/O) for the system. Such peripheral devices include, for example, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) drives, hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and other mass storage devices such as tape drives, compact disk recordable (CD-R) drives or digital video/versatile disk (DVD) drives. Additionally, computer systems often have the capability to interface with external enclosures that include additional peripheral devices.
In many computer systems, it is desirable to include the maximum number of peripheral devices, e.g. hard drives, that can be enclosed in the chassis of the computer system. Similarly, if an external enclosure is used for hard drives, it is also desirable to design the enclosure to optimize space for the hard drives. One type of computer system where it is particularly desirable to optimize hard drive space is the network server. A network server is a focal point for processing and storage in a network, as the network server is responsible for distribution of application programs and data to client computer systems. Because of resource demands, network servers typically have several hard disk drives contained in a peripheral bay and providing nonvolatile storage for the application programs and data.
Additionally, multiple disk drives can be configured to cooperate advantageously using technology generally known as redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID). RAID systems are particularly useful in the environment of network servers because they provide data redundancy, such that if a single disk drive fails, the data stored thereon can be reconstructed from the data stored on the remaining disks. In the most sophisticated network servers and RAID systems, a failed disk drive can be replaced and the data thereon restored by software without interrupting the server's operation. In so-called "hot plugging," the failed disk drive is removed and a new one installed in its place without cutting off the power to the drive or server, and without rebooting the server. A disk drive with this capability is often referred to as "hot-pluggable." One consequence of using hot-pluggable hard drives is that additional mounting hardware is required in a peripheral bay so that individual drives may be easily inserted and removed.
While designers of peripheral bays, computer system chassis, and external peripheral enclosures often seek to accommodate as many of a particular type of device as possible, they also desire the flexibility of accommodating a variety of different types of devices. For example, hard drives come in a variety of heights including one inch and 1.6 inches. A designer of a peripheral bay might choose to include mounting features so that a maximum number of one inch hard drives can be accommodated, for example five one inch hard drives. However, if that same drive bay is used for 1.6 inch hard drives, no more than two such drives can be accommodated using the same mounting features, thereby wasting space and failing to optimize the drive bay.
One solution is to have different peripheral bays for different sizes of hard drives. Thus, there would be one peripheral bay optimized for the maximum number of one inch hard drives, and a second peripheral bay optimized for 1.6 inch drive bays. Consequently, the manufacturer of the computer system must be able to install different bays depending on a customer's drive selection. Additionally, a user who desires to switch from one drive size to another must remove a currently installed peripheral bay, and install a new peripheral bay. Either circumstance leads to additional assembly/modification effort, multiple different peripheral bay parts, and a weaker chassis structure because the peripheral bay must be removable instead of permanently installed in the chassis.
Another solution is to use a single drive bay with movable mounting features. For example, a drive bay can have multiple sets of mounting slots to which driver carrier guides are attached. To allow a maximum number of one inch drives, a user or manufacturer places the carrier guides in those mounting slots positioned to allow the maximum number of one inch drives in the drive bay. To allow the maximum number of 1.6 in hard drives, the user or manufacture removes the carrier guides from the mounting slots located for one inch drives, and installs the guides in mounting slots for 1.6 inch drives. Unfortunately, such a peripheral bay system requires added effort on the part of a manufacturer or user to configure or reconfigure a drive bay. Additionally, users and manufacturers must be careful to install certain guides in certain locations, i.e. one can install a guide in a location designated for one inch drives and then mistakenly install the next guide in a location for 1.6 inch drives, thereby wasting drive bay space.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a peripheral device bay for a computer system chassis or external enclosure that will accommodate the maximum number of devices for each of a variety of different types, including sizes, of peripheral devices while simultaneously minimizing the effort required by users and manufactures to configure and reconfigure the bay for different types of peripheral devices. Additionally, it is desirable that possibility of mis-configuration of the bay is minimized. Furthermore, such a bay should utilize peripheral device carriers that are easy to insert and remove from the bay while still allowing optimization of peripheral device bay space.